Write Yourself into a Job: 11 Cold Email Tips

A job can provide you with a sense of fulfillment, productivity, and purpose. Most of us have jobs and perhaps you are as pleased with your current position as I am with mine. I was mildly surprised when reading this article to find out that most of us are happy with work. Unsurprisingly though, many people are still dissatisfied with their current position and would like to look for something more rewarding or beneficial to their career.

In January of this year, I was in a spot that many college students and perhaps many young professionals face. I was working in a position that provided me with a reasonable income and nice flexibility around a college schedule but did not offer many other benefits. It was not related in any way to my future career path and did not give me the chance to learn applicable skills. I decided that it was time to look for a more professional job that would help prepare me for the future. I knew it was the right time to take a step towards the finance industry in order to maximize my related experience upon graduation. 

I have never had much luck with online job postings and other hiring sites. The ensuing online application process never seems to be fruitful. In my eyes, employers care most about experience, an individual’s unique personal qualities, and the potential fit within an organization. It is too difficult to glean this information from an online application where Google will auto fill much of the required information.

I knew that because I had limited industry experience that I would have to come at the process from a different angle in order to set myself apart. One fateful night, I decided that the best way to pitch myself to potential employers was to send a cold email introducing myself in hopes of landing an interview and eventually an actual position.

I was amazed at the response to this email that I typed out late one evening at a local coffee shop. I believe that people are impressed with applicants who are proactive and professional. An effective cold email can allow you to show off those two qualities. These are the steps I followed to write my cold email, and perhaps they will work for you as well.

 BEFORE THE EMAIL

1 - Cast a Wide Net

Any time you are contacting people out of the blue, the law of large numbers comes into play. Cold calling, cold emails, and networking in general are most effective when you reach out to a large number of people from a widespread set of individuals. 

If you only send out a couple of emails, don’t expect to have a significant or meaningful response. By increasing the number of individuals you reach out to, you will increase your chances of seeing a positive result from this process.

It is also important to be realistic. You can send a cold email asking to become the Chief Investment Officer of Berkshire-Hathaway or the General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals but these will likely be out of reach for most of us, myself included. If the position would be beyond your level of expertise and experience or the organization has a more hierarchical, static structure, they are unlikely to even consider reading an email from an unknown source.

Aim for a company and position that would be challenging though, don’t set the bar too low. View this as a chance to potentially improve your resume and expand your future opportunities, but at the same time remember who you are and where you are coming from at the time. Always take this into consideration before sending out your email.

2 - Research

Check to see whether the organization has hired students from your university or individuals with similar work experience as yourself. This is a good place to start the research process and could prove to be valuable information down the road.

LinkedIn is a great resource for this. You can visit the company page of course but also consider scanning through the individuals who are already employed with the company, especially those in a position similar to the one you would likely fill. This research will prove to be valuable in every step of this process, from crafting the email and eventually (potentially) interviewing for the position. Do good work here, and it will pay dividends sooner rather than later.

IN THE EMAIL

3 - Introduce Yourself

Give a brief description of who you are, mostly consisting of factual information: your major, notable activities, related job experience, and perhaps involvement in the community. This should be incredibly short. You don’t have to give an entire introduction here because you will be attaching your resume to the email. In this introduction, the intention is to give yourself enough credibility that the individual reading the email will continue reading. 

If you notice a commonality from your research between you and any recipient, consider touching on this shared interest or experience here. This would surely establish enough rapport for them to finish the email. Most of this information will come right from your resume. This section provides the recipient with a basic picture of your history and qualifications, hopefully providing you with enough credibility to keep them reading.

From my email, “My name is Myles Jackson, and I am a student at Missouri State University. I am a double major in Finance and Enterprise Risk Management with a minor in Economics. I am a Presidential Scholar and a member of the Honors College as well as Financial Management Association, the Student Organization Funding Allocation Council, and Gamma Iota Sigma. (the national risk management association for college students)”

4 - Be Complimentary

If you found something in your research that impressed you, be sure to mention it. If you have heard good things about the company from friends or colleagues, it can’t hurt to bring this to their attention. Abraham Lincoln wrote, “Everyone likes a compliment.” I agree and would add, individuals are especially appreciative of compliments about their place of employment.

Other parts of the cold email can be copied and sent from company to company, but this section should be tailored to the specific place and/or person to whom you are sending the email. It will mean more to the recipient if the compliment is genuine and true rather than generic and potentially misplaced.

From my email, “I have heard many great things on campus about SignalPoint Asset Management, from students and faculty alike. I am especially impressed by the upfront nature of the company. Often times, people in the finance industry are unfortunately described as inauthentic, so I have a deep appreciation for those who handle business in a professional and honest manner. From only a couple hours of digging, it is clear that SignalPoint Asset Management handles itself in such a way.”

5 - Explain the Reason for Reaching Out 

If you are looking to advance your career or simply in search of a better opportunity, mention it in this paragraph. This will show the recipient that you are at the very least proactive. You didn’t wait around for a job posting and apply. You are ahead of the game and looking for an opportunity where you can provide value and learn.

From my email, “After spending the past year or so in Springfield and digging deeper into my degree program, I have begun to search for job opportunities in the finance industry in an effort to set myself apart upon graduation. Because of the reputation of SignalPoint Asset Management, I chose to reach out to you.”

6 - Sell Yourself

The entirety of this letter is about presenting yourself in a manner that will give you a shot at a new position yet this is the portion of the email where you are explicitly selling yourself, providing the recipient with your value proposition. This is clearly a biased personal analysis since it is coming from you so be carefully confident. Don’t oversell but if you can demonstrate an understanding of the skills that the position may require and then show how you can meet and exceed those expectations you will give yourself a chance to interview over the phone or in person.

From my email, “I possess excellent communication skills, polished by previous sales experience. Although the finance industry can be dominated by analytics, I have a capacity for innovation and creativity. I enjoy being presented with a problem and being given the opportunity to bring about an effective, efficient solution. I am a quick learner, capable of working hard on individual projects or on a team.”

7 - Be Brief

The final draft of my cold email was only 380 words, relatively short for a letter. The busy people in the professional world don’t have time to read through a lengthy dissertation about why you deserve a position in their company. One of my favorite websites, A Wealth of Common Sense, touches on the importance of brevity in our writing here.

They won’t hire you solely because of this letter. This is just opening the door, potentially giving you an opportunity to continue the conversation.

From my email, “I do not wish to take up your time with an email, but I would love the opportunity to meet with you in person to discuss some of the above.”

8 - Attach Your Resume

At this point, your resume should be refined and nearly perfected. It will provide a more complete picture of who you are and give the recipient an additional point of reference.

From my email, “I have attached my resume as well in order to give you a better idea of who I am.”

9 - Ask for a Job Lead or Other Help

Most people want to help others if they are given the opportunity. Perhaps the company doesn’t have a place for you right now, but they may have a friend in the same line of business. The person you contacted undoubtedly has a larger network than you, potentially filled with individuals looking to hire students and young professionals. They might have seen posts from a LinkedIn connection discussing a job opportunity that you would never have the chance to know about.

I have found that business professionals want to help young people. From my experience, they will jump at the chance to help you out. Of the eight replies to my email, three were not interested in me or did not have a place but did give a helpful suggestion for another place to look or offered to introduce me to an individual in their network.

From my email, “I understand that at such a high level firm, there may not be a place for me at the current moment. If this is the case, I would appreciate any sort of help or job leads that you could offer.”

10 - Include Your Phone Number

By doing this, you will hopefully prompt the individual to reach out to you over the phone. The email is limiting to a degree, but a phone call will give you the opportunity to extend the relationship and connect on a more personal level. One of the individuals that received an email called me out of the blue without first responding to my email. Be prepared for this just in case.

At the time I sent out the first round of emails, I had little to no experience interviewing on the phone. Take the chance to hone your phone skills as you wait for the calls to come your way. Many of the tips to perfect the art of conversation also apply when it comes to being better in a phone call, it simply takes more emphasis and intentional effort on the phone since the other person can’t see you.

From my email, “Feel free to call (417-XXX-XXX) at any time.”

AFTER THE EMAIL

11 - Be Professionally Responsive

Many of the emails that you send out will not receive any sort of reply, good or bad. The emails most likely ended up in a spam folder or were simply ignored. Don’t worry about trying to reach out to these individuals again. Respect their space and privacy. It is better to be ignored than to be annoying. It was their choice to not reply, and you don’t need to know the reason. Accept the reality that whenever you choose to reach out to so many people, some simply won’t respond. It is okay. Of the 15 companies that received a cold email from me, seven fell into this category.

Regardless of whether a response to your cold email is good or bad in your eyes, make sure to reply to these emails in a timely manner. Even if they don’t offer a chance to explore any opportunities within their company, thank the individual for their reply and their time in the process. You don’t want to burn a bridge by ignoring their reply or not handling their email in an unprofessional manner.

If you are asked to interview over the phone or in person, make sure to adjust to the other person’s schedule. They are giving you a shot after you came out of left field, so don’t make unnecessary demands when it comes to setting up an interview. Skip the class or miss out on your weekly lunch with a friend. Do whatever it takes to be available when they are.

All That to Say

For me, this process was incredibly enjoyable and rewarding. Best of luck to you if you take the dive and send out a cold email.